Brooklands School

Inspection of a good school: Brooklands School Burnside Avenue, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 2DB

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Inspection dates: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Outcome

Brooklands School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and content at Brooklands School. This is evident in their beaming smiles, positive body language and laughter each day. Strong and trusting relationships exist between staff, parents, carers and pupils. This has helped pupils to develop a strong sense of self and belonging within the school and the wider community. Parents enthuse about the care and support that their children receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The calmness that pervades throughout school enables pupils to develop, grow and learn. Pupils recite the school rules, ‘Bee calm, Bee safe, Bee responsible’, with pride. They enjoy earning rewards for their positive behaviours and work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ communication, learning, independence and personal development are of high priority. These are the foundation of the school’s broad and aspirational curriculum. Leaders have no limits as to what pupils can achieve. Staff have high expectations of the pupils in their care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to communicate their feelings honestly and well, including if they are unhappy or worried about anything. They feel safe. Pupils are kind to one another. Bullying is rare.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders have developed four curriculum pathways that are personalised to meet the specific needs of the pupils. These pathways link with pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. The curriculum is well sequenced and coherent. Pupils make progress and flourish.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers think carefully about how they present new information to pupils. They use the curriculum well to plan activities that capture pupils’ interests. Teachers enable pupils to recap what they have previously learned. Most pupils are clear about what they are learning and why. Pupils show high levels of enjoyment in their lessons and contribute to 31 January and 1 February 2024

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class discussions willingly. For example, in mathematics, pupils confidently talk about what they know and are proud to show off their work. Their behaviours for learning are exceptional.

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Leaders have ensured that their systems to check on pupils’ progress closely match the personalised learning targets they have set for pupils. Teachers use these assessments to plan work and extra support that challenge pupils to learn and develop further.

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Leaders carefully consider the curriculum content to ensure pupils have the skills to manage relationships and keep themselves safe, both online and offline. For example, in personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils learn about consent in a meaningful way. Pupils enjoy activities that staff have planned and apply what they have learned in the classroom and around school.

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In the sixth form, students study a range of nationally accredited courses, learn about careers and employment and prepare for independent living. They learn useful skills, such as how to travel independently. There is a wide variety of opportunities to practise work skills, from working in a café to supporting teachers in the classroom. The extent to which the curriculum supports students’ entrepreneurial skills is impressive. Students raise funds for local charities, organise and run large-scale social events such as discos for young people with SEND in the local community, and make and sell items in the local town hall. Students are well prepared to thrive in the future.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ communication, language and reading. They ensure that all staff have the expertise and knowledge to teach pupils to communicate effectively. Pupils use words, symbols, signs and appropriate communication aids successfully. Pupils at the early stages of reading access expertly delivered phonics lessons. They learn to read with confidence and fluency. They enjoy reading to visitors and talking about their favourite books.

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Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils on roll. In addition, the early years provision opened at the beginning of this academic year. The school quickly adapted its work to meet these demands. In the early years setting, there are clear routines, which children know and respond to well. Children have settled in well and are happy. They enjoy listening to the familiar songs that staff sing and sign to help them develop their communication and language skills. However, the early years curriculum is still evolving. It is not clear what children should learn and when. The purpose of some of the activities, both indoors and outdoors, is not explicit enough to help staff develop children’s knowledge, understanding and skills. There are missed opportunities to develop pupils’ learning further.

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Leaders plan for pupils’ personal development particularly well. This is a school focused on helping pupils to find their voices and independence in their local community and beyond. On Fridays, all pupils engage with activities that broaden their learning and support their social and cultural development. The school council is happy to show visitors, including inspectors, around the school. Members of the school council speak 31 January and 1 February 2024

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with enthusiasm about visits to the local library, fundraising and their personal aspirations for the future.

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The school understands the importance of staff workload and considers it thoroughly when planning new initiatives. Leaders respect staff and value them highly. Staff enjoy their roles and, quite rightly, are proud of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not planned effectively enough what children need to know and develop in the early years. Staff do not have the information that they need to prepare effective learning or to check that children’s knowledge is secure. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum is well designed and ordered so that children acquire the intended knowledge and skills they need for future learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Co-chairs of governing body Michelle Harrison Jacqui Fenwick Headteacher Fran Cracknell

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Website http://www.brooklands.n-yorks.sch.uk/

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Date of previous inspection 25 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a significant increase in the number of pupils on roll since the last inspection.  The school opened an early years class in September 2023.  The school caters for pupils with a range of learning difficulties, including speech, language and communication, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties, and autism. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school employs four early career teachers.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider of education.  The school’s post-16 provision is located off site at Craven College. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors had several meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders during the inspection, including meeting with members of the governing body and representatives from the North Yorkshire local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, communication and language, mathematics, PSHE, and physical development. During these deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also looked at the EHC plans of some pupils

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Information about this inspection

and evidence of pupils’ progress against their targets.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits.  The lead inspector had a tour of the school led by pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors visited the post-16 provision, which is situated at Craven College.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. In addition, the lead inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The team also considered the responses to the Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Penny Ofsted Inspector 31 January and 1 February 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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